Youmeanyouwereactuallyjealousofyourownbaby？’shegasped。Why，Bertram，howcould——Andwasthatwhyyou——yousoughtdistractionand——Oh，but，Bertram，thatwasallmyf-fault，’shequaveredremorsefully。I
wouldn’tplay，norsing，norgotowalk，noranything；andIworehorridfrowzywrappersallthetime，and——’
Oh，come，come，Billy，’expostulatedtheman。I’mnotgoingtohaveyoutalklikethatabout_mywife!_’
ButIdid——thebooksaidIdid，’wailedBilly。
Thebook？Goodheavens!Arethereanybooksinthis，too？’demandedBertram。
Yes，thesameone；the——the`TalkstoYoungWives，’’noddedBilly。Andthen，becausesomethingshadgrownsmalltothem，andsomeothersgreat，theybothlaughedhappily。
Buteventhiswasnotquiteall；foroneevening，veryshyly，Billybroughtoutthechessboard。
OfcourseIcan’tplaywell，’shefaltered；
andmaybeyoudon’twanttoplaywithmeatall。’
ButBertram，whenhefoundoutwhyshehadlearned，wasverysurehedidwantverymuchtoplaywithher。
Billydidnotbeat，ofcourse。Butshedidseveraltimesexperience——forafewblissfulminutes——thepleasureofseeingBertramsitmotionless，studyingtheboard，becauseofamoveshehadmade。Andthough，intheend，herkingwasignominiouslytrappedwithnotanunguardedsquareuponwhichtosethispoordistractedfoot，thememoryofthoseblissfulminuteswhenshehadmadeBertramstare’morethanpaidforthefinalcheckmate。
BythemiddleofJunethebabywaswellenoughtobetakentothebeach，andBertramwassofortunateastosecurethesamehousetheyhadoccupiedbefore。OnceagainWilliamwentdowninMaineforhisfishingtrip，andtheStratawasclosed。InthebeachhouseBertramwaspaintingindustriously——withhislefthand。
AlmosthewasbeginningtofeelBilly’senthusiasm。
Almosthewasbelievingthathe_was_doinggoodwork。ItwasnottheFaceofaGirl，’now。
Itwasthefaceofababy：smiling，laughing，evencrying，sometimes；atothertimesjustgazingstraightintoyoureyeswithadorablesoberness。
BertramstillwentintoBostontwiceaweekfortreatment，thoughthetreatmentitselfhadchanged。Thegreatsurgeonhadsenthimtostillanotherspecialist。
There’sachance——thoughperhapsasmallone，’hehadsaid。I’dlikeyoutotryit，anyway。’
Asthesummeradvanced，Bertramthoughtsometimesthathecouldseeaslightimprovementinhisinjuredarm；buthetriednottothinktoomuchaboutthis。Hehadthoughtthesamethingbefore，onlytobedisappointedintheend。Besides，hewasundeniablyinterestedjustnowinseeingifhe_could_paintwithhislefthand。Billywassosure，andshehadsaidthatshewouldbeprouderthaneverofhim，ifhecould——andhewouldliketomakeBillyproud!Then，too，therewasthebaby——hehadnoideaababycouldbesointerestingtopaint。
HewasnotsurebutthathewasgoingtoliketopaintbabiesevenbetterthanhehadlikedtopainthisFaceofaGirl’thathadbroughthimhisfirstfame。
InSeptemberthefamilyreturnedtotheStrata。
ThemovewasmadealittleearlierthisyearonaccountofAliceGreggory’swedding。
Alicewastobemarriedintheprettyliving-
roomattheAnnex，justwhereBillyherselfhadbeenmarriedafewshortyearsbefore；andBillyhadgreatplansforthewedding——notallofwhichshewasabletocarryout，forAlice，likeMariebeforeher，hadverystrongobjectionstobeingplacedundertoogreatobligations。
Andyousee，really，anyway，’shetoldBilly，Iowethewholethingtoyou，tobeginwith——
evenmyhusband。’
Nonsense!Ofcourseyoudon’t，’disputedBilly。
ButIdo。Ifithadn’tbeenforyouIshouldneverhavefoundhimagain，andof_course_I
shouldn’thavehadthisdearlittlehometobemarriedin。AndInevercouldhaveleftmotherifshehadn’thadAuntHannahandtheAnnexwhichmeansyou。AndifIhadn’tfoundMr。
Arkwright，Imightneverhaveknownhow——
howIcouldgobacktomyoldhome(asIamgoingonmyhoneymoontrip)，andjustknowthateveryoneofmyoldfriendswhoshakeshandswithmeisn’tpityingmenow，becauseI’mmyfather’sdaughter。Andthatmeansyou；foryouseeIneverwouldhaveknownthatmyfather’snamewasclearedifithadn’tbeenforyou。
And——’
Oh，Alice，please，please，’beggedBilly，laughinglyraisingtwoprotestinghands。Whydon’tyousaythatit’stomeyouowejustbreathing，andbedonewithit？’
Well，Iwill，then，’avowedAlice，doggedly。
Andit’strue，too，for，honestly，mydear，I
don’tbelieveIwouldhavebeenbreathingto-day，normother，either，ifyouhadn’tfoundusthatmorning，andtakenusoutofthoseawfulrooms。’
I？Never!Youwouldn’tletmetakeyouout，’laughedBilly。Youproudlittlething!
Maybe_you’ve_forgottenhowyouturnedpoorUncleWilliamandmeoutintothecold，coldworldthatmorning，justbecausewedaredtoaspiretoyourLowestoftteapot；butIhaven’t!’
Oh，Billy，please，_don’t_，’beggedAlice，thepainfulcolorstainingherface。IfyouknewhowI’vehatedmyselfsinceforthewayIactedthatday——and，really，youdidtakeusawayfromthere，youknow。’
No，Ididn’t。ImerelyfoundtwogoodtenantsforMr。andMrs。Delano，’correctedBilly，withasoberface。
Oh，yes，Iknowallaboutthat，’smiledAlice，affectionately；andyougotmotherandmeheretokeepAuntHannahcompanyandteachTommyDunn；andyougotAuntHannahheretokeepuscompanyandtakecareofTommyDunn；andyougotTommyDunnheresoAuntHannahandwecouldhavesomebodytoteachandtakecareof；and，asfortheothers，——’
ButBillyputherhandstoherearsandfled。
Theweddingwastobeonthefifteenth。FromtheWestKatewrotethatofcourseitwasnoneofheraffairs，particularlyasneitheroftheinterestedpartieswasarelation，butstillsheshouldthinkthatforamaninMr。Arkwright’sposition，nothingbutachurchweddingwoulddoatall，as，ofcourse，hedid，inaway，belongtothepublic。Alice，however，declaredthatperhapshedidbelongtothepublic，whenhewasDonSomebody-
or-otherindoubletandhose；butwhenhewasjustplainMichaelJeremiahArkwrightinafrockcoathewashers，andshedidnotproposetomakeaGrandOperashowofherwedding。
AndasArkwright，too，verymuchdisapprovedofthechurch-weddingidea，thetwoweremarriedintheAnnexliving-roomatnoononthefifteenthasoriginallyplanned，inspiteofMrs。KateHartwell’sletter。
ItwassoonaftertheweddingthatBertramtoldBillyhewishedshewouldsitforhimwithBertram，Jr。
Iwanttotrymyhandatyoubothtogether，’
hecoaxed。
Why，ofcourse，ifyoulike，dear，’agreedBilly，promptly，thoughIthinkBabyisjustasnice，andevennicer，alone。’
OnceagainalloverBertram’sstudiobegantoappearsketchesofBilly，thistimeaglorified，tenderBilly，withthewonderfulmother-loveinhereyes。Then，afterseveralsketchesoftrialposes，BertrambeganhispictureofBillyandthebabytogether。
EvennowBertramwasnotsureofhiswork。
Heknewthathecouldnotyetpaintwithhisoldfreedomandease；heknewthathisstrokewasnotsosure，sountrammeled。Butheknew，too，thathehadgainedwonderfully，duringthesummer，andthathewasgainingnow，everyday。
ToBillyhesaidnothingofallthis。Eventohimselfhescarcelyputhishopeintowords；butinhisheartheknewthatwhathewasreallypaintinghisMotherandChild’pictureforwastheBohemianTenClubExhibitioninMarch——ifhecouldbutputuponcanvasthevisionthatwasspurringhimon。
AndsoBertramworkedallthroughthoseshortwinterdays，notalwaysupontheonepicture，ofcourse，butuponsomepictureorsketchthatwouldhelptogivehisstilluncertainlefthandtheskillthathadbelongedtoitsmate。
Andalways，cheering，encouraging，insistingonvictory，wasBilly，sothatevenhadBertrambeentempted，sometimes，togiveup，hecouldnothavedoneso——andfacedBilly’sgrieved，disappointedeyes。Andwhenatlasthisworkwascompleted，andthepicturedmotherandchildinalltheirmarvelouslifeandbeautyseemedreadytostepfromthecanvas，Billydrewalongecstaticbreath。
Oh，Bertram，it_is_，itisthebestworkyouhaveeverdone。’Billywaslookingatthebaby。
Alwaysshehadignoredherselfaspartofthepicture。Andwon’titbefinefortheExhibition!’
Bertram’shandtightenedonthechair-backinfrontofhim。Foramomenthecouldnotspeak。Then，abithuskily，heasked：
Wouldyoudare——riskit？’
Riskit!Why，BertramHenshaw，I’vemeantthatpicturefortheExhibitionfromtheveryfirst——onlyIneverdreamedyoucouldgetitsoperfectlylovely。_Now_whatdoyousayaboutBabybeingnicerthananyold`FaceofaGirl’thatyoueverdid？’shetriumphed。
AndBertram，who，eventohimself，hadnotdaredwhisperthewordexhibition，gaveatremulouslaughthatwasalmostasob，sooverwhelmingwashissuddenrealizationofwhatfaithandconfidencehadmeanttoBilly，hiswife。
IftherewasstillalingeringdoubtinBertram’smind，itmusthavebeendispelledinlessthananhouraftertheBohemianTenClubExhibitionflungopenitsdoorsonitsopeningnight。OnceagainBertramfoundhispicturethecynosureofalladmiringeyes，andhimselfthecenterofanenthusiasticgroupoffriendsandfellow-artistswhoviedwitheachotherinheartywordsofcongratulation。Andwhen，later，thefearedcritics，whosenamesandopinionscountedforsomuchinhisworld，hadtheirsayinthedailypressandweeklyreviews，Bertramknewhowsurelyindeedhehadwon。AndwhenhereadthatHenshaw’sworkshowsnowapeculiarstrength，asortofreservepower，asitwere，which，beautifulaswashisformerwork，itnevershowedbefore，’hesmiledgrimly，andsaidtoBilly：
Isuppose，now，thatwasthefightingIdidwithmygoodlefthand，eh，dear？’
ButtherewasyetonemoredropthatwastomakeBertram’scupofjoybrimtooverflowing。
ItcamejustonemonthaftertheExhibitionintheshapeofatersedozenwordsfromthedoctor。
Bertramfairlyflewhomethatday。Hehadnoconsciousnessofanymeansoflocomotion。Hethoughthewasgoingtotellhiswifeatoncehisgreatgoodnews；butwhenhesawher，speechsuddenlyfled，andallthathecoulddowastodrawhercloselytohimwithhisleftarmandhidehisface。
Why，Bertram，dearest，what——whatisit？’
stammeredthethoroughlyfrightenedBilly。
Hasanything-happened？’
No，no——yes——yes，everythinghashappened。
Imean，it’sgoingtohappen，’chokedtheman。Billy，thatoldchapsaysthatI’mgoingtohavemyarmagain。Thinkofit——mygoodrightarmthatI’velostsolong!’
_Oh，Bertram!_’breathedBilly。Andshe，too，felltosobbing。
Later，whenspeechwasmorecoherent，shefaltered：
Well，anyway，itdoesn’tmakeanydifference_how_manybeautifulpicturesyoup-paint，afterthis，Bertram，I_can’t_beprouderofanythanI
amoftheoneyourl——lefthanddid。’
Oh，butIhaveyoutothankforallthat，dear。’
No，youhaven’t，’disputedBilly，blinkingtearyeyes；but——’shepaused，thenwentonspiritedly，but，anyhow，I——Idon’tbelieveanyone——notevenKate——cansay_now_that——
thatI’vebeenahindrancetoyouinyourc-career!’
Hindrance!’scoffedBertram，inatonethatleftnoroomfordoubt，andwithakissthatleftevenless，ifpossible。
Billy，forstillanotherminute，wassilent；then，withawistfulnessthatwashalfplayful，halfserious，shesighed：
Bertram，Ibelievebeingmarriedissomethinglikeclocks，youknow，’speciallyatthefirst。’
Clocks，dear？’
Yes。IwasouttoAuntHannah’sto-day。
Shewasfussingwithherclock——theonethatstrikeshalfanhourahead——andIsawallthosequantitiesofwheels，littleandbig，thathavetogojustso，withallthelittlecogsfittingintoalltheotherlittlecogsjustexactlyright。Well，that’slikemarriage。See？There’ssuchalotoflittlecogsineverydaylifethathavetobefittedsothey’llrunsmoothly——thathavetobeadjusted，’speciallyatthefirst。’
Oh，Billy，whatanidea!’
Butit’sso，really，Bertram。Anyhow，I
knowmycogswerealwaysgettingoutofplaceatthefirst，’laughedBilly。AndIwaslikeAuntHannah’sclock，too，alwaysgoingoffhalfanhouraheadoftime。AndmaybeIshallbesoagain，sometimes。But，Bertram，’——hervoiceshookalittle——ifyou’lljustlookatmyfaceyou’llseethatItelltherighttimethere，justasAuntHannah’sclockdoes。I’msure，always，I’lltelltherighttimethere，evenifIdogooffhalfanhourahead!’
AsifIdidn’tknowthat，’answeredBertram，verylowandtenderly。Besides，IreckonIhavesomecogsofmyownthatneedadjusting!’
End
